Taking the Plunge…RunDisney!

If you decided to read on, perhaps you’ve been intrigued by the hype surrounding RunDisney. Maybe you’ve seen ads, emails, photos, and videos promoting RunDisney events and in the back of your mind, you’ve always said, “maybe one day!”. Maybe you’ve thought that for like about 5 seconds before you come to your senses and start listing of an arsenal of reasons why you (of all people) have no business running, period. Today I am here to help you stop that negative self talk and redirect your negative thoughts into positive realities.

About a year ago, I did just that! I put that negative talk to the side and committed to running the Princess Half Marathon. With 13.1 miles staring me in the face, my first step was to sign up. I knew that once I committed my money, my dedication would follow. That was seriously the best choice I could have made. I was that girl who always joked when I saw people running on the side of the road; “the only way I would be able to run is if someone chased after me with a knife!”. But, then I learned a little something about myself (that I think is true for everyone)… what is to be is up to me! In terms of training and running, I pushed myself like never before. It was hard! I am not going to kid you. But, it was SO worth it. Not only for the satisfaction of completing a RunDisney event, but more so, for just showing myself that I can take on a challenge and succeed. I am officially addicted to RunDisney! Running is all about putting one foot in front of the other. That is how I thought of the process; each action was a next step! I think you (insert your name here…yes, especially YOU) should take the plunge and RUN…Disney!

If you have been thinking about signing up for a race, take a look at my list of 5 pro’s to signing up for a RunDisney event! These will help you combat all those cons I know you’ve cooked up!

1st:

Signing up is a commitment. Don’t let that commitment scare you. Now is the time is the best time to start! The idea of “later” will only hold you back! Find someone to run it with you and hold you accountable. There are TONS of training resources offered through RunDisney. And remember, you don’t have to be an ace runner right now. When I signed up, my longest run was 1 mile (and that was “good” in my book!). Do it today, hey, if nothing else, you get to go to Disney. I’ve found that to be a good enough motivation to get me to run! In fact, I’m headed to Disney in a month to run the Tower of Terror Ten Miler! Take your first step!

2nd

There are more than just marathons and half marathons to be run! You can choose a challenge by signing up for a race that you think is “doable”. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean take the least challenging road. If you have the time, ability, and determination, sign up for a race that will give you something to work for. Shoot for what will make you feel successful. For me, I know that 26.2 isn’t where I would fee the most successful. That said, I also knew that a 5k wouldn’t be enough to challenge me. I picked the Princess Half Marathon. If was literally, the run of my life! Nothing compares to a RunDisney race!

3rd

You don’t have to run the entire thing! RunDisney events can completed with a run or jog/walk. Again, there are loads of resources on the RunDisney site, including Jeff Galloway’s suggestions on the walk/run method! I saw a lot of walkers, joggers, runners, sprinters, and everything in between. Don’t be discouraged if you can run the entire thing! You can absolutely walk (just remember your race etiquette)! In fact, the minimal pace is a 16 minute mile! That is extremely “doable”. And, just a FYI characters litter the course and it is totally okay to stop to catch a picture. Don’t let your mind get the best of you! You CAN do it!

4th

The courses aren’t that bad! Of course, this is coming from a girl who trained on the hills of Carolina! I was so shocked to see how much easier it was to run on flatter land! I think this makes for a wonderful race! Even the overpasses (which is what I was most worried about from all the web hype) weren’t that bad! That means that training can happen indoors on a treadmill or track or outdoors on the road! Also, the courses are packed out with Disney magic! Which leads me to my 5th point…

5th

You are literally running, Disney. So far, I’ve only run the Princess Half so, I can only speak from that experience. But, for that race, from the on the course entertainment (there was literally at least one form of entertainment per mile) like characters and music to the fact that you actually run down Main Street USA…talk about chills…you are running in the MOST magical place on earth! I am telling you that as a fact, I’m positive that if anything can make me run, other than that knife wielding person chasing after me, is the fact that Disney was a part of it all!

Okay, so now is where the soles hit the street…are you going to take the plunge? I vote…YES! There’s plenty of time for you to train for RunDisney events in 2013. I’ll even help you take your first step, go sign upnow!!!!!

If you are planning on running the Princess Half, I’ve even taken to the world of Polyvore) to create inspiration boards for what to wear (conveniently posted to a Pinterest board for you! Yeah, most people dress up for RunDisney events…that should be 6th in my list pros for running with RunDisney.

Let me know if you sign up! I am excited to RunDisney again in a few weeks! I hope to get to that 26.2 one day! What race are you signing up for? What race have you run that you would do again? What was your deciding factor to take the plunge! Let’s talk in the comment section!

As always, thanks for reading!

For more tips, tricks, and ideas to make your Disney trip magical, visit my blog: disneydonerightblog.com

See ya real soon!

Ashley

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